A Little Patch of Ground

A Little Patch of Ground is a pioneering inter-generational food growing and performance project inspired by permaculture.

“Beautiful. Truly inspirational and extraordinary; an emotional piece of work that should be shared across neighbourhoods in this country.”

Alicia Smith, Culture Liverpool

Between 2009-2013 Encounters have delivered A Little Patch of Ground in communities across the UK: in Liverpool, then Doncaster followed by a twinned Urban/Rural Patch in the East End of London and Totnes, Devon.

A Little Patch of Ground takes place over a period of 20 weeks. A diverse inter-generational group of local residents meet weekly to create and grow their own permaculture inspired vegetable garden, cook and eat together. Through a variety of media the group explores thoughts on food, resources, climate change, interdependence and sustainability.

Participants explore the world as our shared home, with personal stories about moments of connection in nature, documentation and writing tasks about special places outdoors. Through creative writing, making and drama the group takes a journey together, inspired by eco-philosopher Joanna Macy’s cycle of behaviour change: Gratitude, Despair, Seeing with New Eyes, Going Forth.

In the last weeks of the project, these transformative personal experiences are woven together into a public performance incorporating verbatim text, image, objects and movement to tell an intimate and personal tale about the joys and challenges of living alongside each other in this time of ecological challenge and opportunity.